The Day Evil Returns
by DevinBourdain
Summary: Is the stress of the job finally getting to Nelson? After and encounter with a mysterious woman named Lucy, the Admiral isn't sure what is real and what's a hallucination conjured by his over worked, over stressed brain. Will he figure it out before it has disastrous consequences for the crew?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.

Reviews are always welcome.

* * *

**The Day Evil Returns**

Admiral Nelson opened the door to his cabin and came to an abrupt halt just inside the door. The cabin wasn't nearly as empty as it should have been. His desk chair was turned to face the wall and was currently occupied. Irritation started to course through his veins. After the many frustrating setbacks he experienced in the lab that afternoon he really didn't need to deal with whatever this was.

"Can I help you?" asked Nelson, wanting to know the reason for the intrusion into his space. This was his personal cabin after all and no one had the right to enter without his permission.

The chair slowly turned to face Nelson revealing a young woman with bright red hair and amber eyes. She looked perfectly at ease sitting there at the Admiral's desk. A large smile engulfed her face as she answered his question. "You most certainly can Harry."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The only people that were supposed to be aboard were the crew and this visitor certainly wasn't a member of his crew.

"You can call me Lucy and I believe you knew a colleague of mine." Her voice was almost lyrical and her eyes sparkled with delight at the Admiral's confusion.

Nelson stepped further into his cabin and shut the door. Even if she had somehow managed to sneak aboard _Seaview_ she didn't strike him as much of a threat. It was probably safe to hear her out before he had the master at arms take her away. He wracked his brain trying to connect the name to anyone he knew because he certainly could not remember having ever made the young ladies acquaintance. There was a familiar presence about her that he recognized; a familiarity that he hadn't felt in years.

Sensing his confusion she added, "It's not important at the moment. I have a proposition for you to consider. One that I believe you will be more than willing to entertain."

"Oh, and what might that be? I must confess I'm equally interested in how you managed to get aboard _Lucy_. It is a somewhat difficult task, what with us being at sea and all."

"A girl never reveals her secrets Admiral." Leaning forward she whispered, "you should get the door."

The Admiral startled as someone knocked. Reaching around, he opened the door. Lee was standing there, a piece of paper in hand. Nelson quickly brought his attention back to his desk only to find the chair and the room empty.

"Are you alright Admiral? You look like you've seen a ghost." A pang of concern shot through Crane as he watched his friend pale slightly.

Crane gave no indication of having seen anything out of the ordinary. Nelson was going to ask but why call attention to something that apparently wasn't real. It would only cause the young Captain concern .

Shaking it off as a symptom of too many long hours locked inside the lab, Nelson pushed his recent encounter out of his mind. Ryan had being pushing for him to take a vacation and Angie had insisted she could look after the Institute if he took the time off. Perhaps he should give their offer some serious consideration. "What can I do for you Captain?"

"Starke has a request for us to transport some supplies back to Santa Barbara for him."

"He thinks we're his personal errand boys does he?" There was a slight amusement in Nelson's voice. It never ceases to amaze him the liberties that Jiggs was willing to take with their friendship sometimes.

Lee smiled. "He asked that I tell you that everything will be ready and waiting when we make port and will not interfere with our schedule. I'm also supposed to mention that 'this will make you even for the thing in Baltimore.'"

"He already cashed in Baltimore." Nelson moved over to his desk and reclaimed his seat. Everything appeared to be exactly how he left it. "No tell him if he wants me to haul his cargo, he has to cash in Wellington."

"Aye, aye sir." There was a certain amount of curiosity Crane held for the adventures the admiral alluded to but despite his best efforts he rarely got to hear any of the tales. He'd have to remember to bribe Jamie with a bottle and try to get the doctor to spill the beans.

Nelson continued, "If he accepts that deal let me know, and have Chip get on rearranging the cargo holds to accommodate Starke's shipment."

"I'll get right on it. At our current speed we're scheduled to make port in five hours. We have everything under control Admiral, why don't you catch up on your rest. No disrespect, but you look like you could use a couple hours," offered Lee. The Admiral had been looking a little rough the last few days. His current project had demanded long hours in the lab and Nelson rarely came out for meals or rest breaks. Crane also knew how much time his friend had devoted to this project before they had left the NIMR. It had been a source of concern amongst the senior staff.

Nelson scrubbed his hand over his face. Crane wasn't wrong and if his hallucination earlier was any sign, it was only a matter of time before Jamie showed up and threatened him with a cot in sickbay. "I might just take you up on that Captain."

The skipper nodded and took his leave. The Admiral leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. He still couldn't place Lucy. His imagination had to dredge her up from somewhere and it was going to gnaw away at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Lee dropped his tray down on the table next to Chip. The XO had yet to take his nose out of the report he was reading to take a bit out of his breakfast. "Lee," the first officer muttered as he turned the page he was reading.

"Is that the same report you were reading last night?" asked the Captain before slamming back half of his coffee. He smiled when he received no response.

Crane tried again. "A real page turner?" Still nothing. Lee crumpled his napkin and tossed it at Chip. He pegged his friend right between the eyes. The wad of paper plopped down on the table next to the untouched plate.

Morton glared over the edge of the report in his hands. "_Really_?"

"Really," chuckled the skipper. Seeing no retaliation was forthcoming, he stated, "Must be something in the water or should I be offended that you and the Admiral seem to be ignoring me?"

Chip closed the file and gave his friend his undivided attention; he could take a hint. He had to admit he wasn't being overly social on this trip. Somehow work had piled up and it didn't seem like Morton was ever going t get his head above water.

"Actually Chip, I'm a little concerned." A deep frown settled on Lee. "Does the Admiral seem a little… distracted… worn out lately?"

Morton pondered over the question. He hadn't really seen a lot of Nelson. The man had locked himself in his lab claiming he was working on some top secret project, which wasn't anything unusual per se, but he had looked rather run down when he ran into Chip at dinner two days ago.

"Have you mentioned it him, Lee?"

"I did before we made port. I was hoping he'd take a few days and get off the sub but he just locked himself in his cabin." Crane's casual demeanour shifted to one of outright concern.

Morton shoved a forkful of cold eggs into his mouth. He made a look of disgust before moving onto his lukewarm coffee. If breakfast was cold, maybe he was a little too focused on work. "If he won't listen to you, you could always sic Jamie on him," offered Chip. It would be a nice change to watch the doctor go after someone else.

The Captain drummed his fingers on the table. He would definitely be able to get Jamie on his side and the Admiral did tend to bend to the doctor when threatened with being put into sickbay for exhaustion. "I think I'll do just that. Thanks Chip," said Lee as he got up from the table. He paused for a moment. "You might want to give this conversation some thought, I'd hate to have to use your own advice against a certain first officer who's burning the candle at both ends too."

Morton grabbed the crumpled napkin that had been chucked at him and tossed it back at Lee. He offered his hand to Lee and introduced himself, "Kettle, you must be pot."

* * *

Chip made his way back to the control room. Figures and diagrams were still running through his head so he wasn't paying a lot of attention to the Admiral's boisterous voice drifting down the corridor. The closer he got to the lab the more he realized it was a one sided conversation he was hearing. Paying more attention, it was a very heated one sided conversation. He pitied whoever was on the receiving end of this rant.

Crane's concerns about Nelson flared up in Chip and he decided to poke his head into the lab. Maybe he could help calm things down a bit and get a first hand assessment of his own on the Admiral's current state.

"Just what is it you want?" yelled the Admiral. There was a hint of desperation mixed in with his fury. "I'm not going to do anything you ask! You tried before and I'll be damned if I let you succeed this time."

"Admiral, is everything alright?" asked Chip. He looked around the empty lab; a knot of fear was starting to grow in his stomach. "Who are you talking to?"

Nelson jumped when he heard the XO. He wasn't aware that someone else was in the lab. He turned to face Morton, his hands smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt. His face was still flushed with rage. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Lucy had vanished once again.

She had been unrelenting the last few days; constantly whispering in his ear, always there with the smug smile and lyrical voice. Every time Nelson thought he had a second to himself, there she was. Clearly Morton hadn't seen her, no one gave any indication that they ever saw or heard her.

If it wasn't Lucy weighing down his thoughts, his mind automatically replayed the times as a child sitting in the corner of his grandfather's room at the nursing home. His grandfather had been one of the most exhilarating adults that ever gave him the time of day. Even as a young boy it didn't take long to figure out that grandpa was a little off. The man had had an imagination that no one other than Nelson seemed to appreciate but as Harry got older the nurses' words began to have meaning and the private conversations the old man was having with the shadows on the wall became less entertaining. Maybe this was the point where the head of NIMR finally lost his mind and had to be locked away?

The Admiral could see the worry in Morton's eyes. He didn't think he could put his boys through what his grandfather had put his mother through. He stormed over to the door and Chip reflexively took a step back. "I don't think that's any of your concern Commander," snarled Nelson s he slammed the door shut. If he was crazy and he drove everyone away, then they would be spared having to watch him deteriorate into a raving madman. Six more days until they arrived in Santa Barbara; he could hold it together until then.

Morton stood there staring at the door for a few moments. Once the shock had worn off he took a deep breath and doubled his pace to get to the control room. They were definitely going to have to stage an intervention of some kind for the Admiral.


	3. Chapter 3

The red haired temptress tilted her head to the side to avoid the book being thrown at her head. It smacked into the wall with impressive force and harmlessly fell on to the bunk beside her. She sat on Nelson's bed watching the Admiral frantically pace back and forth in the small cabin. If his rage caused her any concern it didn't show; she was the picture of calm Zen. "Temper tantrums are very unbecoming of you Harry." Scolded Lucy.

Nelson paused in his stride to glare at his uninvited guest. The silence wrapped itself around the mounting tension. Lucy quirked an eyebrow; it was a challenge for the _Seaview_ creator to accept her deal, which he had so far been unwilling to consider. Lucy could be patient though, there was all the time in the world.

The Admiral shook his head to clear all notions of going along with such an outlandish arrangement. It was tempting, to just give in and put an end to the torment. If these were the delusions of a mad man then giving into them just might set him free, but what if they weren't? They had certainly experienced their fair share of weird that would support this whole thing as being real. He just needed Lucy to go away for a moment so he could think clearly.

A small smile graced her face as Nelson went back to pacing. "_Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me out discourteously, for I have loved you for so long, delighting in your company."_ Lucy ducked again as another book was chucked her. The Admiral's anger had been escalating for days now. What started as the silent treatment morphed into heated arguments that he was quick to silence in the presents of others, to shutting himself away, to the current physical expressions of violence. Lucy licked her lips at the delicious thought of just how close Nelson was to losing it completely. Not wanting to give up the nerve she had been picking away at for the last few days, she hummed the remaining versus of _Greensleeves._

The Admiral snarled and continued shuffling about. She had to be a hallucination; how else would she pick that song to torture him with constantly? Elaina had adored the song and now in her absence it had become all but a painful reminder of many missed opportunities; of a life that had been within reach but didn't work out.

Nelson stomped over to his desk and yanked opened the bottom drawer. The flask tumbled forward from the force and the Admiral snatched it up. Twisting off the top he took a long hard hit off of it. The familiar burn of the alcohol helped restore some of his calm and clarity. The sparkle of cold steel caught his attention and he stared at the gun sitting in the drawer. His hand curled around it and he checked to chamber to confirm it was loaded.

Lucy watched; her evil grin growing larger than even the Cheshire cat could manage. "Please, tell me we're going to play Russian Roulette. I do so adore that game."

He levelled the gun at Lucy; it felt heavier than usual and his hand wavered slightly. "Then you can have the first turn." She didn't so much as twitch; he wasn't sure if she believed he wouldn't pull the trigger or if it was because Lucy was in fact the ghost of his growing insanity. Nelson's finger coiled around the trigger. The resulting bang echoed in his hears and he looked at the weapon as if it had bit him. He wanted to let out a triumphant laugh as he looked back at the bunk where Lucy had been sitting and found nothing but a bullet hole in the wall.

"You missed," whispered Lucy in his ear as she leaned over his shoulder. Nelson turned quickly to see the source of his torment leaning casually against his desk. "Care to try again?"

Reason went out the window. Real or not he was going to shut her up once and for all. Her voice had become like ants underneath his skin; crawling and creeping into every fibre of his being. Her words floated through his head more often than his own thoughts and he could stand no more. The Admiral pulled the trigger again. It was easier the second time, more satisfying.

* * *

Crane sauntered down the corridor. He knew he was dragging his feet on this but he really wasn't looking forward to having this discussion with the Admiral. Taking Chip's advice, he'd talked to the doctor about his concerns and Jamie agreed to have a word with Nelson. However, Morton's report over the incident in the lab meant that they shouldn't wait. Lee decided to see his mentor himself as Jamie was called into surgery for a ruptured appendix and wouldn't be available for awhile.

The Captain paused in front of Nelson's door to organize his thoughts on the best way to broach the subject when the sounds of a heated argument caught his attention. He didn't hesitate one second when the undeniable sound of a gunshot rang out.

Crane's heart was pounding as he turned the doorknob and entered the cabin. Lee's jaw almost hit the floor as he watched the Admiral raise his gun and fire it at his desk. He wanted to ask what was going on but he couldn't get the words out before Nelson turned sharply and pointed the gun at him. Lee flinched at the bang and automatically brought his hand up to his side. His brain tried to come up with the word for the bright red substance running down his fingers but everything tilted sideways then faded to black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chip glanced up from the chart he was studying and rubbed his hand against his tired eyes. Everyone was diligently performing their assigned tasks in the control room and the Commander spared a moment to check his watch. He knew Crane was going to talk to Nelson, and knowing the Admiral, figured it would be a very short or very long conversation; either way Lee would have sent some kind of message to let him know how it was going.

A feeling of dread passed over Morton. He couldn't figure out exactly what was troubling him about the situation but his instincts had severed him well in the past and he decided to listen to this one; if he was wrong, well better to be safe than sorry. He scooped up the mic and contacted sickbay.

"Jamie here," answered the doctor.

"Have you heard anything from the Captain since this morning?" Chip's voice was calm and cool even though he was starting to feel anything but.

"I haven't heard a word from either of them yet. I was planning on seeing the Admiral after I finish up my post op report and check up in the next couple of hours."

"Alright Doc, keep me informed if you hear anything." Morton put the mic down and began to tap his fingers on the plotting table. His conversation with Jamie didn't help to settle the nagging feeling in his gut.

The gentle tapping caught O'Brien's attention and he looked over at the XO. It was a small tell that the young Lieutenant had picked up on over the years, one that Morton didn't display often. The crew had noticed the tension that was building around the senior officers this voyage despite their best efforts to hide it and it came as no surprise when Morton summoned O'Brien over to the plotting table.

"Sir?" inquired the Lieutenant.

Chip opened his mouth and closed it a few times trying to make up his mind on his course of action. O'Brien stood patiently waiting for the XO's contemplative look to pass. "You have the con Mr. O'Brien."

"Yes sir," replied the younger man as Morton made his way up the spiral staircase.

Chip knew Lee was going to chuckle at his latest display of concern; he'd been accused of being overly cautious many times before and for the most part it proved to be unnecessary but he couldn't take the chance that this feeling might be the exception to the rule. Morton's first stop was the Captain's quarters. He hoped he would find Lee sitting at his desk and that the skipper had a successful talk with the Admiral which had put everything to right.

The knock at Crane's door went unanswered and Chip tapped his fingers against his thigh as he waited an extra moment before trying the door handle. The cabin was as empty as Morton knew it would be and he had to swallow down the rising feeling that something was terribly wrong. It was a nervous feeling, like ants were crawling all over his skin. With the best case scenario in shambles, Chip silently closed the door and continued on to the Admiral's cabin.

The corridor was eerily quiet. Morton assumed he would be greeted by Nelson's grumbling at Crane's unwarranted concern or outrage at the young Captain's notion that something was amiss but there was nothing. The silence only served to send another flare of fear through the commander.

Just like at Lee's door, his knock went unanswered. Chip tried again to no avail. His hand hesitated above the doorknob; an internal debate raging. He was going to walk away and wait to hear from Lee, the Captain would have everything under control, but a flicker of red caught his attention. Morton bent down on one knee in front of the door and swept his finger across the mysterious red drop. He rubbed the gelatinous substance between his finger and thumb; it was blood.

A drop of blood wasn't uncommon; the crew managed little nicks and cuts all the time, even paper cuts had spilled their fair share of blood on _Seaview_. There was no silencing his inner voice of worry now; Chip opened the door, praying to find an empty cabin.

The room was dark and Chip ha to blink a few times to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. The light that poured in from the corridor was enough to illuminate Nelson sitting rigidly at his desk with a scowl firmly planted on his face.

Before Morton could say anything about the odd behaviour, Nelson ordered, "Get in here and close the door."

Chip complied, once again plunging the room into darkness. He had been given an order and no matter how strange it might be, he had no reason to question the older man's instructions yet. An uncomfortable silence followed as the XO stood in the darkness waiting for some kind of response from his employer.

Nelson turned on the small desk lamp and the bulb flickered and fizzled a few times before bathing the room in its soft glow. He didn't have to say a word; he saw every emotion possible pass over his first officer's face as Morton focused on the crumpled form of Crane in the corner. In a flash Chip was at the skipper's side checking for a pulse, breathing and the extent of the wound in the man's side. The Admiral had to turn his head away from the desperate scene being played out before him on the floor by the door; it was hard to watch Morton panic over an unconscious Crane. He couldn't help but lock eyes with the Lee Crane that was perched on his bed watching his counterpart and best friend with interest.


	5. Chapter 5

A harsh buzzing sound rose in the Admiral's ears, blocking out the distressed sounds coming from Morton as kneeled next to the prone form of the Captain. The only thing that registered in crystal clarity was the impassive stare of the Lee Crane that was sitting on Nelson's bunk watching the scene play out. The older man couldn't take his eyes off the small quirk of Crane's lip that threatened to betray the man's intent but refused give a solid clue. One of the Cranes in the cabin was real and the other was Lucy's new form; one a dear friend and the other a messenger from Satan himself.

Lucy's words had dripped like poison and tainted every thought and emotion the Admiral possessed. The lines of reality that were usually undefined in his life and missions with the crew of _Seaview_ had burred until they became almost nonexistent in the last few days and Lucy's forked tongue had driven him to pick up that gun. Her lies had become a real thing, twisting and tying him until he could no longer tell what which way was up and the promise of sweet freedom had driven him to exercises the demon that taunted him. Only now as he took in two Lee Cranes, he wasn't sure he had made the right decision.

The shot had sounded, the voices stopped and Lucy had disappeared; the world had resumed its usual calm and Nelson almost sob with relief that the fiery temptress was gone. The moment had been short lived as he looked down and saw one of his most dreaded sights; instead of the enemy bathed in blood, Lee laid crumpled on the ground. The relief that had lifted Nelson's soul bleed out of him as the red stain underneath the Captain expanded. His knees buckled and shaky hands had hesitantly reached out for a pulse only to stop when the sound of Lee's voice drew his attention towards his bunk.

The words Crane used sounded like his long time friend and it certainly looked like the skipper, but now as he watched Chip's reaction, he wasn't so sure he had made the right choice.

"I told you Admiral, she'll stop at nothing to trick you," offered Crane in a soothing even tone as he saw the doubt and distrust start to surface in Nelson again.

"And how do I know you're not the one trying to trick me?" asked Nelson, the words were slightly above a whisper and lacked any trace of the usual certainty and self confidence that defined the Admiral.

Chip paused as he heard the Admiral speak and looked around the room; it was as empty and solemn as the situation playing out within it. A truly unfathomable scene was becoming more twisted and confusing. His brain slowly started to analyze what he had walked into and the more the pieces tried to force themselves together, the more jumbled the picture was becoming. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded.

Nelson's eyes flashed between Crane and Morton who was still desperately clinging to an unconscious Lee. "I'm…"

"He can't see me Admiral," interrupted Crane, "it's another one of Lucy's tricks. If Chip can't see me, he's going to try and sway you to help him and unwittingly allow her to win. You have to hold true sir, you can't let her win."

"Admiral!" Morton shouted. Nelson looked away from the seemingly empty bunk and Chip watched as the uncertainty slipped away to be replaced by the cold determination. "I'm calling Jamie," he declared as he got to his feet and made his way over to the comm. in the cabin,

"You will do no such thing," ordered the Admiral as he raised his gun again and brought the young officer up short.

Chip raised his hands in a nonthreatening gesture. He knew something was wrong with _Seaview's_ creator but this… Thrusting his blood drenched hand forward to emphasize his point he said, "Lee needs a doctor!"

"That is not Lee Crane!" The scream left Nelson panting and flushed with anger.

"Not Lee… what are you talking about? You really have gone over the edge haven't you? I'm not going to stand idly by and let Lee die because you've had some sort of break." Fuelled with a desperate need to save his friend, Morton moved back towards Lee to pick the ailing man up. "I'm taking him to Jamie."

The older man's finger coiled around the trigger once more and the gun sang at its triumphant release as the bullet sped forward and melded with the wall mere inches from the blonde's head. The XO flinched at the near miss and allowed the familiarity of command and years of experience take over, straightening his shoulders and hiding the fear that was starting to take over.

"You will do no such thing," hissed the Admiral, motioning with the gun for Chip to put Lee back down and move away from the door.

Morton calculated the odd of being able to close the distance between him and his commanding officer without getting shot. If the Admiral managed to shoot him, then he would be of no help to the skipper. Every scenario he came up with didn't bode well for the pair or produce a peaceful solution; whatever was wrong Chip wanted to make sure that no undo harm befell the Admiral. Despite the injury, the Captain still had some time to get medical help; Chip could wait for a few minutes. Jamie had mentioned stopping by to check on the Admiral, perhaps he could use that time to reason with the man or at the very least stall him until the appropriate help could arrive.

With a reluctant sigh, Morton leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. The Admiral lowered the gun and didn't seem to object to Chip keeping pressure on Lee's wound. Without another word, Nelson turned and continued his conversation with the wall by his bunk.

* * *

**note for mila***

yes there are 2 Cranes, hopefully this chapter cleared things up a little


	6. Chapter 6

The minutes silently ticked by in Morton's head as he sat on the floor helpless and uncertain as how to save the people that mattered most. They had faced terrorists, spies, monsters, aliens and rogue scientists but this wasn't something one could outmanoeuvre. He desperately wished he had Crane's reassurance or even the Admiral's advice, but he was on his own to try and resolve this. He couldn't lose his best friend and he certainly couldn't lose him at the hands of their mentor.

It was painful to watch Lee lay unconscious on the floor but it was an entirely new kind of pain to watch Nelson carry on a conversation with an imaginary person. It was probably the worst fate that could befall someone with that kind of intellect. Worse yet, Chip was sure that the man they all looked up to knew, on some level, that he was in fact going crazy.

The XO let his head fall against the wall as resigned himself to his fate. He would do whatever it took to make sure Lee got out of this one, even if it meant taking out their leader. As much as it would pain him to do so, he knew that Nelson would make that choice for himself if he could. Morton silently prayed that it wouldn't come to that.

Nelson could feel Morton's eyes burning into the back of his head, never wavering and never ceasing. He couldn't bring himself to look the young man in the eye. All the XO knew was that he had shot Crane; he didn't have all the other facts and so could only judge him on what was right in front of Chip's eyes. The Admiral ached to try and explain it to him, maybe that would make it all seem less crazy.

He had to stop Lucy. If he didn't there would be disastrous consequences for not just them but the world at large. He knew it in his soul. There was something about Lucy that was so familiar, her mannerisms, her will. Nelson had met someone like this before, but her poisonous lies had tainted everything, maybe it was all in his head.

Nelson focused on the Lee Crane perched on his bunk, scrutinizing every inch, looking for some sign that it was Lee. Both men looked exactly the same and if he didn't know better the Admiral would have sworn they were identical twins. Reality was there was only one Crane and there was a very good chance that he had just shot the man.

The Crane on the bunk watched the scene with morbid curiosity. It wasn't everyday that one came face to face with their double and it was quite another to watch a situation such as this play out. He was rousted from his thoughts by the Admiral's forceful voice.

"You're not really him, are you?"

"I can assure you Admiral, I'm Crane." There was hopeful pleading within those amber eyes. If he couldn't convince Nelson of who he was, then the wrong people were going to win and all the hope for the future would be dashed.

"If you are him, tell me something only Lee would know," offered the Admiral. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the way Morton flinched every time he spoke the Captain's name.

With more certainty and conviction, than the older man had hoped for, Crane leaned forward and replied, "What do you want to know?"

Nelson paused. He had hoped that the man before him would hesitate, try deflect, not submit themselves for interrogation with a confidence that screamed they had nothing to fear. The Admiral ran through all the possible questions he could ask, things that only Lee should know. That was the thing though, if he was going crazy and all this was in his head, then the possible imposter could give no wrong answer. Panic flared within him, there was no real way to be one hundred percent certain who was who. He had shot the other, who was now unconscious and hanging on for dear life. If he couldn't question both, hear both sides of the story... Even then, if he had truly gone mad, it wouldn't matter any way.

"What was the name of the bank teller that was held hostage with you and Chip during O'Brien's wedding?" It was the most ridiculous of questions but obscure enough that it would never have graced a report one would read in order to assume someone's identity.

Crane stared blankly back at Nelson, the silence between them expanding until it felt like it would crush the room and everyone in it under its weight. The older man's finger started to twitch towards the gun on his desk, his hand drawing ever nearer to it. Hatred unlike any other began to flood his veins as the belief that the man before him was an imposter.

"Shelby."

The word was like a punch in the gut. An answer as to who was real and who wasn't was within reach and the Crane on the bed came up with the answer sending Nelson back to square one. He glanced towards Morton and Lee on the floor. The blond did nothing to hide his contempt of the situation. Seeing the desperation in his first officer and the pain at seeing his Captain, his friend, lying there dying became too much.

Nelson balled his hands and pressed them against his forehead. It did nothing to sooth his aching head from running a mile a minute. He had never felt so lost before. Take the chance that the man dying on the floor was Lee or believe the one on the bunk? If he made the wrong decision now, he could very well be letting his best friend bleed to death.


	7. Chapter 7

Chip sat there as the lost look swept over the Admiral. He had to do something soon; time was running out, perhaps for both men. Putting his nerves aside, Morton implemented his command voice. "Admiral, you have to let me get Lee to sickbay, _please._"

Nelson looked back and forth between the two Cranes at a dizzying speed. His finger began to tap against the desk as he wracked his brain for a decision.

"If you take that imposter to sickbay, Lucy is going to win. You can't give her what she wants! She's manipulating you, playing with your emotions. Can't you see that?" hissed Crane.

"Admiral!" demanded Chip.

"Don't do it!" warned Crane.

"You can't just let the Captain die," pleaded Morton again when Nelson turned to look at the person Chip couldn't see.

"It's Lucy toying with your will. If you let her control you here, she'll be able to manipulate you into doing anything," countered Crane.

Everyone was speaking at once, their pleas and concerns getting jumbled together until they drowned out Nelson's own thoughts. Their words bombarded his brain pulling him in every direction. "Shut up, everyone!" he screamed. The resounding silence was almost as bad as the constant talking.

All eyes were on him demanding he make a decision. The mounting pressure was crippling. Could he afford to be wrong about this? Nelson realized he needed Lee to bounce his concerns off of, debate the pros and cons of the situation. He needed his friend to stop him from potentially making the biggest mistake of his life.

"Chip?" whispered the Admiral.

"Yes?"

"I don't know what to do." It was a simple confession but he still didn't feel better for it.

Morton swallowed the lump in his throat. It was hard to hear such a proud man sound so broken and on the verge of defeat. "What are you options, sir?"

"I can let you take that Lee out of here and perhaps give Lucy what she's after or I keep Crane here, let him die and again possibly give Lucy what she wants."

In a gentle voice, Morton asked, "Who's Lucy?"

"A ghost, a demon, a figment of my imagination created by my broken mind; I don't really know anymore. But if I let her win, the world is going to suffer."

"Admiral," Chip cocked his head to try and capture Nelson's gaze, "Let me take Lee to sickbay. Whatever is going on, we can sort it out later. If you really believe that this isn't Crane, then I'll have guards posted in medical, but can you really take the chance that it isn't the skipper?"

Nelson let out a shaky breath. No matter what the voices in his head were trying to convince him of, deep in his gut he knew he couldn't take the chance with his friend's life. "Better to err on the side of caution I suppose."

A flicker of hope warmed Morton's chest at the promising words. His muscles coiled in anticipation of rushing his injured commander to the nearest medical help. Not wanting to spook Nelson and lose any ground he had gained with the man, Chip cautiously got to his feet. He kept his movements slow, the older man watching him like a hawk.

Crane sat on the bunk seething. Rage flooded his veins at the Admiral's cavalier attitude. "You can't do this Nelson," he ranted. "Do you have any idea how many lives are at stake? You're just going to let the enemy win by playing into their hand. Are you just going to make a deal with the stars to ensure that doesn't happen? He has to die!"

The words echoed through the room and Nelson's head. There was a chance that they were true, but one look at the hope in Morton's eyes at the possibility at saving his friend and the Admiral knew he couldn't destroy that; more importantly he didn't want to. If taking the chance and saving his friend was going to doom them all, then so be it.

Ignoring the irate man behind him, Nelson turned to directly face Chip. "If I can't trust my judgment then I have to trust yours. You can take Lee to sickbay."

Crane jumped off the bed, a mass of rage and hate. Warnings and threats dripped off his tongue as he moved closer to Nelson. The older man snatched his gun up, clicking off the safety and aiming it at Crane. The second Lee stopped dead in his tracks.

The XO placed a hand against the wall to steady himself, the relief was dizzying. He wasn't going to squander this opportunity and moved quickly to scoop up Lee's crumpled form. "Are you coming Admiral?" he asked but the words faded as Nelson picked up his gun.

"Get out of here Morton. I'll deal with whatever this is," ordered the man behind the gun.

Hesitating for a moment, the blond nodded and opened the cabin door to freedom and the help that Lee desperately needed.

Nelson watched the pair leave before turning his attention back to the other Crane. He motioned with the gun towards the bed. "Have a seat."

Crane narrowed his eyes and glared at the Admiral. He assessed the distance between them and the odds of getting to the gun before the other man got off a shot. Realizing the odds weren't in his favor, he reluctantly took a seat and scowled like a petulant child.

"You can give up the charade Lucy," snapped Nelson. His tolerance for games had long since come to an end, even if they were a figment of his broken mind, though he was starting to think that there might be something more going on.

Crane sighed and in the blink of an eye changed into Lucy. "How did you know?"

"You were very insistent that I let Lee die. The real Crane would have worked harder to convince me it was the right thing to do if he was even certain it had to be done. Now let me ask you a question, who are you?"

"What makes you think I'm not some delusion of yours?" For all of her games, she seemed genuinely interested in the answer.

"I find it hard to believe that under any circumstances I would convince myself to kill my best friend on nothing more than the promise of potentially saving the world." Lucy nodded, conceding the point to her adversary. "You pushed too hard."

"You have to admit, it was working. I almost had you believing that you'd gone off the deep end. So what really gave it away?"

"I've heard a similar speech before, but I think you already knew that. A deal with the stars, and controlling someone's will, we had a visitor before with the same shtick." Seeing that Lucy knew the game was over calmed the Admiral's frayed nerves.

"I was told you'd be a worthy adversary. I can see now that he wasn't wrong." The red haired temptress shrugged.

"Your people came here the first time looking for a planet to help alleviate your population explosion. Your whole goal was to see us destroy ourselves in a nuclear war that would leave this planet open to colonization as well as feed your need for radio activity, so why were you so focused on me letting Crane die this time?" asked Nelson as he gazed at his uninvited guest looking for an honest answer in the wake of her lies.

"It was personal. Our superiors don't like failure and the agent sent here two years ago was a friend. I figured if I could get you to kill your friend not only would I then be able to get you start nuclear war but I would get you back for everything Mikest suffered when you beat him." The words were uttered as simple facts rather than the heated words one would suspect from someone seeking revenge.

"If it's revenge you were after, why not just straight out kill Crane or myself? Why the games and manipulation?"

"We can't kill." Lucy's eyes flashed with a hint of regret and Nelson had to wonder why someone who was supposed to be so advanced felt sorrow at not being able to feel a life slip away with their bare hands. "We have to use our skills to get others to do our dirty work, but it appears we've met out match with you. I don't envy the next scout they send to challenge you, but I do look forward to the outcome. Congratulations, Nelson, you've earned another day for your planet." With that, Lucy disappeared without a trace.

The Admiral let out a deep breath that filled the joyfully empty cabin. A chuckle started deep in his gut and grew until his whole body was shaking with the relief it offered. All the tension, anger and fear from the last few weeks dissolved as quickly as Lucy had vanished and Nelson took a moment to revel in it, in the fact that he wasn't going crazy, before embracing the reality of what he had done.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**Three Weeks Later**

Jamie leaned against the table in NIMR medical and fought back his irritation as he watched Crane shrug on his uniform.

Sensing the doctor's assessing gaze upon him, Lee turned and offered an award winning smile. "I'm fine Jamie; you don't have to worry so much."

The doctor snorted. "I'm only the ship's doctor, what could I possibly know about the after care for someone who almost bled to death," he grumbled before throwing his hands up in frustration and storming into his office.

Crane paused for a moment debating whether or not he should take pity on the doctor and take the man's advice for once, but Lee's need to hash things out with the Admiral won out. Signing out against Jamie's advice, Crane then made his way to the elevator and Nelson's office.

He couldn't really remember much of what happened and had to depend on Chip's recount of events to fill the large gaping holes in his memory. Nelson had been a constant fixture at his bedside, but once Lee had awoke, the Admiral had offered a string of apologies and vanished. Morton had informed Lee that the head of the Institute had locked himself away in his office and refused to speak to anyone about what happened or anything that wasn't official business.

Of course Jamieson had run the full gambit of test on the Admiral the second they returned to the Institute and came to the conclusion that the man was sane, much to the relief of the entire crew. With the medical exam showing nothing the only answer for the events that had unfolded was Nelson's report, which given past experiences , seemed reasonable. What threw Lee, was the fact that the Admiral had shut himself away from everyone once he knew that the Captain was going to be alright.

Crane raised his hand and gently knocked on the office door. He didn't expect a response but had checked with Ryan before hand to make sure the Admiral was in. Taking a deep breath he strode into the scientists office. Nelson was buried in reports and without looking up to see who was intruding, yelled, "Get out!"

"Admiral, we need to talk."

Of all the people he expected to have barge into his office Nelson had not been expecting Crane, at least not this soon. Resigning himself to the uncomfortable conversation ahead, he gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk.

Lee took a seat careful not to aggravate his still healing wound. "Chip told me what happened…" The Admiral opened his mouth to protest, but the Captain raised his hand to stop him. "Despite how it played out, you made the right call and when it mattered the most, you did the right thing. We've dealt with these beings before; I remember what it was like. For what it's worth, I don't blame you."

Having said his peace, Crane stood up and left Nelson to mull over his words. The Captain knew it would take a little while for the Admiral to believe them, but when he did, things would be back to normal or as normal as things ever got around the Institute. It was an unspoken bond that no matter what the universe threw at them, would remain intact. The NIMR family could overcome anything.

The End.

* * *

Thank-you so much to everyone who read this story.


End file.
